welcome to my life

I'm back with a quick recap of what I was up to this weekend. I love reading what my favorite bloggers are up to, so I figured I'd start sharing more of my life in New York City with y'all, too! I'm truly blessed to live here, and I feel like I don't share my insights on this incredible city with you enough, so here we go. This weekend was VERY eventful for me, so buckle in, kids. This one's a long one.

FRIDAYMy Friday was supposed to be like any other Friday -- get up, go to work, make it to the weekend -- but it turned out to be anything but.

I got up bright and early to head to Times Square (I know, why?), because my Dad was being featured on a Billboard! I sat out there for a good long while, which was very difficult being that A) I was in Times Square; B) It was 7am on a Friday; and C) I had no idea where I was supposed to be looking and when; but after a while I finally saw him and it was so worth it. I felt like I made his day when I sent him the pics/video I snapped.

I didn't have any solid plans for Friday night, so I decided to do something unexpected. I booked myself a spot in the Write-In at Gotham Writers, an organization that offers writing workshops + classes of all kinds in NYC. You can pay cash at the door, but I decided to pay + register online so that there could be no turning back, no matter how tired I told myself I was on the subway ride over.

I'd been wanting to get back into writing for quite some time (and by writingI mean really writing, not just the typical rambling I do over here on the blog), and this seemed like the perfect way to start. Their Write-Ins are super casual and take place every Friday night, and at only $20 a pop (or $45 for 3), they are super accessible, too. The Write-Ins last for 2 hours, and are essentially filled with two 15-minute free writes (based on random prompts given out by the instructors), with free food, wine and socializing stuck in the middle of them. The nice thing about the quick writes is that you can read your work aloud for non-critique-y feedback, or you can opt not to. It's basically a writer's paradise.

Because I'm feeling extra vulnerable today, I'm gong to share one of my quick writes from that night with you below. I haven't sat down to actually write write since college, so take it easy on me!!

Prompt: Cringeworthy"Why am I like this?" I'd ask myself for the umpteenth time after doing something even slightly embarrassing. It could be anything really -- an awkward intro, a trip on (or, more likely, down) the subway stairs, a text message sent before its prime. And while it would only take a second for that feeling to sink in, it'd take me an hour of sipping wine and searching through cheesy Pinterest quotes like "Don't try to be perfect, just be yourself!!!!!", with too many exclamation points added to the end for emphasis, to soothe me down to normalcy again. But what even really is "normal," anyway?

"I'll sure never know," I grimaced to myself as I pressed "send" on a half-baked reply: "Sorry, Jack, I can't make it tonight."

His name was James.

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On my way home after class, my BFFs texted that they were heading out to one of our favorite local haunts, so (fresh off my regained writers' high), I switched directions and met them out for some much-needed drinks and catching-up. It was the perfect way to kick-start the weekend.

SATURDAYOnce again, I went into my Saturday thinking it would be rather chill. You know, one of those sweet weekend days where you sleep in, and then lazily lounge around with Netflix and a bottle of wine in your PJs (or is that just me?). However, the universe had other plans for me.

I started the day off with lunch and errands uptown, as I needed to find a dress for a wedding I'm attending this coming weekend. I had some old clothes that I was able to take into H&M for a discount, and luckily enough, I was able to find the perfect dress there as well (score!). I had also intended to watch the new Incredibles 2 movie that day, but when we got there, it was sold out and running wild with children... which made me glad the stars weren't aligned for that one anyway.

After that, I headed home for a quick nap, before meeting friends out for dinner in Greenwich Village. Even though seafood isn't usually my vibe, we finally settled on this amazing little place called Mary's Fish Camp. I had the Cod sandwich, and it was absolutely INCREDIBLE. I might actually come back here sometime to try a more "fishy" meal, that's how good this place was. 10/10 would recommend.

After that, we had a bit of a sweet tooth, so we took a walk and ended up at Cookie DŌ, which never disappoints. The prices actually aren't bad for how popular and Instagrammable the place is (you can get a single scoop for $4), but keep in mind the scoops are RICH, so less really is more here. I don't think I made it through more than half of my single scoop before it became too sweet, but man, was it satisfying.

Still after that, I met one of my other best friends at a relatively new rooftop bar, The Roof at the PUBLIC Hotel. It was dark out so I didn't get any pictures, but trust me when I say it's one of the cutest, sexiest places to go for a night out in the city. Between the outdoor roof deck and bar, and the indoor restaurant, couches (with blankets!), bar games, and (you guessed it) more bars, there's a little something for every type of night here. I can't wait to go back.

SUNDAYSunday was PRIDE day here in NYC, which means lots of people, lots of rainbows, and of course, lots of booze.

I met a group of friends for brunch at Barraca, which I don't know how I haven't been to before because their sangria menu is to die for. But what nothing could prepare me for, was the insanity that would be trying to navigate the lower Manhattan streets when literally every single sidewalk was shut off due to the parade route. But we eventually made it to brunch, and once the bottomless sangria started flowing, all was right with the world.

After brunch, we bar hopped around in the area, in what I can only assume was a myriad of rainbow jello shots and thematic cocktails. I wish I could tell you more, but I really don't remember much, if that tells you anything about how my Sunday went. Needless to say, my night ended with Taco Bell and Westworld in bed.

Whew, what a weekend! That's it for now, but I'm going to really try and keep up with these recaps every single weekend. Of course, that means I actually have to go out and do stuff instead of Netflixing in bed, so we'll see how that goes.